The Grey’s Market Basher is a light fighter that, in CIG’s own words, prioritizes guns over absolutely everything else. It mounts six size two weapons and two missile launchers on a hull significantly smaller than any other light fighter in the game, and it pays for that with very low durability. CIG’s Behind the Ships episode on the Basher, released July 16, 2026, is the developers’ explanation of why the ship exists and how it is meant to be flown.
Grey’s Market is the manufacturer CIG introduced the year before with a junker aesthetic built from parts of other ships. The Basher is its second ship, and the episode spends as much time on how it was welded together as on how it fights. This article summarises both.
A light fighter built around firepower
Light fighters are the most maneuverable class of fighter and are meant for close dogfights. The Basher’s six size two guns are new weapons but not unique to the ship: they are standard mounts, so you can swap them for other size two weapons. Size two is not the most powerful class in the game, but CIG says six of them are perfectly capable of taking on other fighters.
The balance comes from the hull. The Basher is much smaller than the other light fighters, which makes it hard to hit, but it has very low durability compared with the rest of the class. CIG’s advice is blunt: you need to be aware of your piloting skill and of every threat around you, because as soon as you get hit you will feel it.
Kit-bashed from Drake, Gladius, Aurora and Avenger parts
The exterior is deliberately cobbled together. The cockpit and engines sit far back for what the artists call a hot rod feel, and the first thing you notice is how large the engines are relative to the body. Look closer and you find parts taken from or inspired by other ships: a lot of Drake and Buccaneer, some Gladius, some Aurora and some Avenger, plus a few surprise pieces.
The biggest challenge in building a ship like this, according to the team, was resolving forms, since everything is a sharp edge and looks like an afterthought. Cables, bolted-on metal and rust cover the hull. Inside, the weapon rack is a broken fence and the personal storage is a filing cabinet welded into the ship. As one developer put it, if it looks bodged, it is.
Getting in through a hole in the wing
Most ships share templated enter and exit animations. For the Basher the team used the Merlin’s, but could not get the character to climb over the hull convincingly, so they cut a hole in the wing, perhaps from a past explosion or fight, and used bits of rebar as ladders.
The cockpit is described as a rally car: mesh wire with holes cut in it over the window, as if nobody could find a complete piece that fit, and a dashboard similar to old Drake ships that lights up in stages when the ship powers on, which the team puts down to wiring problems. The defining feature is a crane that sits in the pilot’s view. It lines up with the aiming reticle, which helps with aiming, and if you find it distracting in combat you can switch to the front camera for a zoomed-in view instead.
Paints and cosmetic kits
At launch the Basher ships with the crane as its only cosmetic kit, and you can remove it if you prefer. CIG says it hopes to explore more cosmetic kits for the ship later as a way of giving players visual upgrade options.
The paints follow the pattern set by the manufacturer’s earlier ship: the default finishes plus a floral pattern and a skull design. CIG says it wants Grey’s Market vehicles to have a strong brand identity on top of the visual style it has already established for them.
How CIG sees the ship’s role
The developers call the Basher a unique ship rather than a cute one, and say it adds a new dimension to the combat experience. It is a fighter for players who want maximum firepower in the smallest possible package and are willing to accept that a few hits will end the fight. The episode closes with the team arguing over whether the right word for the manufacturer’s ships is junker or jalopy, and settling on junker.
The Basher is already in the live game. CIG’s September 2026 monthly report lists a fix for the ship being impossible to repair at landing pads among the Core Gameplay team’s recent work.
What this means for new players
The Basher is not a first ship. Its whole design assumes you can avoid being hit, and a new pilot will be hit a lot. If the look appeals to you, treat it as a second ship for when you are comfortable in dogfights, and expect to lose it more often than a sturdier fighter. The standard weapon mounts mean it will grow with you, since the six size two guns can be swapped for others you buy in game. Our Star Citizen referral code guide explains how the 50,000 UEC signup bonus works and how to apply code STAR-6WPK-3K56 before you enlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Six size two weapons and two missile launchers. The guns are new but use standard mounts, so they can be swapped for other size two weapons.
CIG describes it as very well armed for a light fighter and very hard to hit because of its small size, but with very low durability. It rewards skilled pilots and punishes mistakes.
It lines up with the aiming reticle to help with aiming. It is the ship’s only cosmetic kit at launch and can be removed. You can also use the front camera for a zoomed view.
A manufacturer CIG introduced with a kit-bashed junker aesthetic, building ships from parts of other manufacturers’ ships. The Basher is its light fighter.
Source: Star Citizen | Behind the Ships: Grey’s Market Basher. Details come from CIG’s Behind the Ships: Grey’s Market Basher video of July 16, 2026, with the repair fix noted in the September 2026 PU Monthly Report.
